Secret Identities
Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Oliver’s face was a combined mask of incredulity and terror. “No.”
“Let me take her, Oliver,” Clark repeated for the third time. Each time he received the same response.
“No.”
“Oliv-"
“NO!” He crushed the petite blonde’s lifeless form to his chest possessively. By now, AC, Bart, and Victor hovered quietly near the bedroom doorway. Their faces etched with concern, sadness, and shock. Oliver’s mouth worked, and he finally found the words, his eyes never leaving Chloe’s face. “I want answers, Clark,” he demanded hoarsely as he stroked Chloe’s hair from her cheek, and ran a gentle finger to her chin. So cold, she was so cold. “One minute I’m lying on the ground between buildings at a warehouse facility, and the next minute, I’m perfectly healthy and… I… I don’t remember anything else!” He raised her head up in the crook of his arm and rested his warm cheek against her cold one, cradling her, rocking her, and whispering something in her ear as though she could hear him. He kissed her cheek tenderly.
“I’ll explain everything to you, but you’ve got to let me take her.” Clark could only imagine what must be going on in Oliver’s head at this moment. It must be a shock indeed. Oliver was not aware of Chloe’s healing ability, that much was evident. What he couldn’t understand was Oliver’s possessiveness and tender ministrations to his best friend. Something more was happening here. “Oliver.”
Clark approached the bed slowly, cautiously as if dealing with a wild animal that could strike at any moment. “Oliver?”
“Where are you taking her?” Oliver looked up at him, his eyes shining with unshed tears, deeply pained and defeated yet still clutching Chloe’s body against him.
“Back to Smallville.”
“No. I want answers, now Clark. She’s not going anywhere until I know what’s happened and why.”
Clark sighed. “Fine. But let me put her in your guest room.”
“No. I’ll do it.”
Oliver scooted to the edge and rose from the bed on shaky legs, but soon gained purchase and lifted her with him. Her head lolled back and he cradled her closer, lifting her higher in his arms, righting her head gently against his shoulder with a cupped palm. So many questions. His mind was a jumble of emotions and thoughts. He needed to know the answers.
* * * * * *
Chloe looked at the caller ID on her cell phone. “Hello Oliver.”
“Hey Sidekick. Can you get away to Star City this weekend?”
“Hmmm. I might be persuaded. Try convincing me,” she challenged.
He chuckled, hearing the smile in her voice. “Maybe I just miss that beautiful megawatt smile.”
“Yeah, right,” she scoffed, and then added with mock coquettishness, “ Oh my Mr. Queen. Are you flirting with me?”
“Well, if you have to ask, then I guess I’m not as good as I thought.”
“Awww, did I just bruise your male ego?”
“Not a chance. Let’s see,” he paused as though checking. “ Nope. Male ego still intact.”
Her voice shook with laughter, “What can I do for you, Ollie?”
He cleared his throat, becoming serious for a moment. “We received some new intel on shipments coming into Star City that look suspiciously familiar. Construction materials mainly, concrete, bricks, wood, lead, and this should interest you… a few tons of good ‘ole Kansas meteor rock. I don’t want to discuss it further over the phone, but I’d like if you could be here to run comm. while we check things out. I’ll need everyone I can get on this, and…”
“Count me in.”
“Really? I mean, good.”
“I guess you’re getting better at this whole convincing me thing.”
“You haven’t seen anything yet.”
“Must be that infamous Queen charm.”
“You know it.”
* * * * * *
It was 2:00 am, Chloe sat in the back of the communications van a block away from the site sipping her favorite brew and stifling a yawn. So far things had gone without a hitch, and now she was simply waiting for the group to return to the van.
“Green Arrow to Watchtower, we’re just about done here, looks like we were right. We’ve got ourselves the makings of a new 33.1 facility.”
“Copy that, Archer. We’ll figure out what to do with the information once we get back to base. We have to find a way to dispose of that meteor rock without… without possibly… infecting the nearby population.”
“Right. You okay in there, Sidekick?” Had he noticed the hitch in her voice?
“I’m fine. Round up the others. Hurry and get your green-behind back here.” She waited for his response, certain that he’d make a comment about her checking out his behind and when none came, she tried again. “Archer, do you copy?” Nothing. “Watchtower to Green Arrow, come in.” Static. She tried the others, Victor, Bart, AC, Canary… and, nothing. Chloe switched channels, trying again. “Archer?” Nothing but a sudden shrill ear- piercing noise that forced Chloe to remove her headset. He would have told her if he were on silent running. Something was wrong. Chloe climbed out of the van, her eyes searching the darkened street for any member of the team possibly approaching, but it was empty.
When Oliver got no response to his comment about how she must be checking out his butt, he worried. She was certain to come up with some witty retort. He tried hailing her several times. Nothing. “Watchtower, come in.” Something was wrong. He tried hailing the other team members, and when no reply came from any of them, he turned, running through the partially built facility, leaping over woodpiles and construction tools toward the direction of the communications van. His heart began to race.
‘Smart doesn’t help when someone’s trying to attack you…!’ Clark’s words came back to Oliver and guilt washed over him. ‘You put Chloe in danger!’ Clark's voice yet again, berating him.
Adrenaline rushing through his veins urged him onward. He had made himself a silent promise that first night he went to see her. That if she agreed to work with him again, he’d protect her. At all costs, with everything he had, without superpowers, he’d protect her. He would never tell her this, knowing her reaction would be that she could take care of herself, that she didn’t need his protection. That was all right, she didn’t need to know the vow he’d made. He only needed to fulfill it. She was a hero in her own right, and she deserved no less from him.
His running slowed as he approached the van. The back doors were open. No one was inside. “Tower?” He panted, out of breath more from fear than anything.
“Arrow?” A small voice drifted to his ears.
He walked to the opposite side of the parked van where Chloe was standing, then looked around to see no one but her there. “Why the hell didn’t you answer me?” His words came out harsher than he’d meant them, but the adrenaline was still coursing through him and he didn’t seem to know what to do with the excess now that he’d found her safe.
“Why the hell didn’t you answer ME?” she demanded, equally harsh taking a step toward him.
“I did!” he boomed, advancing on her.
“I did too!” She had to tilt her head back to look up at him now. He was so close, so close she could touch him. She could almost feel the strength that radiated from him and she realized that her heart was beating furiously in her chest.
He pulled his hood back and removed his dark glasses. “I was worried! I came running back for you!” he exclaimed trying unsuccessfully to get his breathing back to normal.
"I was worried about you too!" Her voice shook with something akin to anger. She then cast about for something else to say. “Well, it’s... it's your faulty equipment!”
He towered over her. “Trust me, my equipment is not faulty,” he intoned suggestively. “Maybe you don’t know how to use it.”
“Oh really!? I know more than you think!" she bristled. "If I didn’t, I wouldn’t b-"
He cut off her words, with a growl of impatience, sweeping her up in his arms, pulling her up against his body and crushing his mouth to hers all in one swift motion.
Chloe didn’t think her feet were touching the ground. She didn’t think much at all at this moment. No thought, only sensations sent in short bursts to her brain. The heat of his body, the strength of his arms around her, the dampness of his hair as she ran her fingers through it pulling his head toward her, the demand of his lips and tongue and teeth matching her own urgency, his breath mingling with hers, the moan that escaped the back of his throat, echoing hers, the sudden, unexpected aching rush of want and need that sluiced low in her belly to her feminine core.
“Arrow? Tower?”
It was Victor’s voice nearby bringing them back to earth. Oliver loosened his grip as the kiss ended, pressing smaller kisses to her lips as he lowered her body slowly, his lips following hers. He searched her eyes in the dark shadow of the van as she slid down his length, her eyes never leaving his as her feet finally touched the ground. They were both breathing heavily. He reached up and caressed her cheek with the backs of his fingers tenderly. “Thank God you’re all right,” he whispered.
“I was thinking the same of you,” she breathed.
“Hey! Where are they?” Bart called. “Let’s get out of here already, I’m hungry.”
“I couldn’t agree more. Let’s get out of here,” Oliver said as he and Chloe appeared from behind the van. The others unaware of what had transpired between them.
* * * * * *
A showered and dressed Oliver sat slumped in a chair next to the bed where Chloe had been laid, her lifeless hand in his. He absently stroked the back of her hand with a thumb, staring off into nothingness. Clark couldn’t get him to leave her side. He eyed Oliver from the opposite side of the bed where he sat. He wondered exactly what had been going on between Chloe and Oliver. Clark knew Oliver wanted answers but he wasn’t certain his friend was ready to hear them. It seemed that all three of them had secrets that needed to be revealed.
“Oliver. Something you should know about Chloe," Clark paused for a moment. "She’s... well, she's meteor infected.”
Oliver didn't look up, and his voice held no emotion when he finally spoke. "I want to know everything."
End Chapter 2
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